It's a special opportunity to see the changes – or lack thereof – between the old and new designs.

We’ve seen the new Porsche 911 quite often. In fact, Porsche doesn’t even seem that interested in hiding the new car anymore, because we’ve seen the 992 series from pretty much every angle. All that remains are a few bits of coloured tape covering specific areas, and that will be removed in a month for the new 911’s grand debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The new 911 is hardly a secret:

When that happens, we’ll line up photos of past-and-present 911s for a proper comparison. In the meantime, spy photographers happened to snap some crystal clear photos of an all-new 911 wearing an eyeball-searing shade of yellow, sharing space with the current-generation 911 dressed in blue. Call this an unofficial see the changes feature, because this is a neat opportunity to make some early comparisons.

Right from the start, the obvious feature is that there aren’t any obvious differences between the generations. The new 911 gets a refreshed grille with fewer curves and rectangular vents, and the bonnet is newly sculptured in a manner that reminds of the air-cooled 911s from the '70s and '80s. If you look really close, you’ll even see the body lines for the bonnet are squared off. But at a casual glance, we can easily see someone mistaking the new car for old.

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It’s much the same story at the back. A new rear fascia moves the exhaust tips further out towards the corners, with the number place nestled between them instead of over top. The taillights are quite small, and the rear window appears to have less of an inward slope at the bottom. The changes are noticeable – perhaps more so than in front – but it will still require a bit of effort to clearly identify the 992-era 911 from its predecessor.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Porsche 911 is nothing less than a timeless icon among the sports cars of the world. While other models have come and gone, the 911 endures in a recognizable shape, still carrying its engine at the back. And who knows, maybe Porsche does have a surprise or two still in store before the official car is revealed in Los Angeles.

When it does, you know we’ll be there to bring you the latest on the next 911.